Grief & Support

Mother's Day Support Group & LuncheonEach year mothers come together for support, friendship, a lovely lunch at the Wight House in Bountiful, and gifts from the community to help them through this difficult holiday.

In addition to the annual luncheon, OCH offers quarterly eight week support groups for mothers who have lost a child. Women who have participated in previous support groups often return as mentors for women in future support groups. This creates a meaningful extended support group that continues to support each other on a long-term basis.

One mother shares about her experience in our group: “Mother’s group has gotten me through the darkest hours of my life. Right after my son died I didn’t know how I would go on. I really did not want to leave my house let alone meet with people and talk about my son’s death. Little did I know that only these other women would be the ones to lift me out of my fog and help me try and move on with this “new life.” We joke that we are a part of a club that nobody wants to be a member of. Our therapist/facilitator has been amazing as she guided us through this new reality by teaching us coping skills and helping us to see that we needed to take care of ourselves. We all thought we must be doing things wrong but she helped us to see that nothing was wrong and that we shouldn’t let others make us feel that way. I am sorry that I had to meet these women this way but they have all forever changed my life for the better.”

Grief & the Holidays EventThe holidays can be an especially difficult time for people who have lost a loved one. OCH hosts our annual Grief & the Holiday event at the Resilient Solutions office at no cost to attendees. This event gives attendees the opportunity to connect during the holidays with other people who are also experiencing grief. Therapists are present to offer additional support, and coping tools. Guests also receive small gifts donated by the community to show them that there is a community who continues to support them.

One man shares his experience at this event: “the holidays after my dad died were so hard for our family. Being able to come together for an evening with others who understand meant a lot to our family. The ideas and handouts given by the therapists helped, too.”

Bereavement Support GroupThis is a specialized bereavement support group for people who have had a loved one die from suicide. Family members and friends are often left with many questions, guilt, anger, and resentment after losing a loved one to suicide. These issues are explored through 8-week group therapy sessions offered quarterly by a licensed therapist.